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Okay guys, I found 2 hurricanes that weren't exactly hurricanes but the rain off of one since 1900. Agnes went through that way in 1972 and then of course Hugo which actually was a Cat. 1 hurricane in 1989 that went by Charlotte. The other one was Jeanne in 2004 and she took a wide swipe and went to the west of Charlotte but I believe they would have gotten some rain of it. If memory serves me correctly, Jeanne went way into the western part of the state and caused some mudslides up there. But that should help minimize your fears some.

I'm not an expert. I made it through Hurricane Isabel in Va in 2003. I'm now in South Florida. Last year I survived Rita, Wilma (WE WERE IN THE EYE OF THE STORM), and Katrina. Wilma hit us hard. No power for about 2 weeks. My suggestions from my experience. I would prepare as if any other weather related problem that may have the power go out. Here are my suggestions.

1.Get a battery operated television/radio (very inexpensive at Walmart or Target). You can follow the track of the storm when the power goes out. Get many batteries. Please check to make sure you have the right size for your flashlights etc. (No candles!) If your house is on fire during a hurricane, police and fire do not respond until its over.

2.Buy food and water for at least 1-2 weeks.(Personally, I would purchase for two weeks. You do not want to be stuck in long lines waiting for water and ice.

You can find a list at the Palm Beach Post or Publix websites.
Dry milk or milk that does not have to be refrigerated.
Baby wipes to wash your face etc.

3. Fill your tank with gas. I would assume most gas stations in NC do not have generators. You may need gas for a generator also.

4. Fill all of your tubs with water. This you will use to flush the toilets. The toilets and sewer systems back up if power is off for a few days.

5. Pets make sure you have food, water etc. If you have to evacuate take them with you. My dog sat in the corner hours before the storm and was scared until a day after it was gone. The pets will no the storm is near before you do. It's truly silent and beautiful before and after the storm.

6. Get one of thouse old phones that you plug up directly to the wall not a cordless. Those were the only phones that worked until the generators in the phone system went down. Our cell phones did not work but you could text message for some reason. Contact one person to let them you know you are okay after the storm. Everyone else should be directed to contact that person because you will probably not get through again.

7. Get to know your neighbors. We all put all of our food in the freezer and turned the refrigerator to its highest number. After the power went out, we all shared food as it thawed out. Not to waist anything. Someone would bring meat, another veggies, etc.

8. Check on your older neighbors and relatives if you can. That was the hardest thing to see. Remember they may need help to get to the hospital or dialysis etc.

9. Hopefully you will not have to evacutate but be prepared with your documents SS card, passport, important papers etc. enclosed in a plastic sealed bag.

I could right a book but this is all just from experience. You can also check the Palm Beach Post-Storm 2006 website for information. They will have good information but they probably won't tell you that the sewer will back up and that your cell phones etc. may not work. If you specific questions, let me know.

If all fails, come stop by place afterall, I'll be in Charlotte after July!!!

I'm not an expert. I made it through Hurricane Isabel in Va in 2003. I'm now in South Florida. Last year I survived Rita, Wilma (WE WERE IN THE EYE OF THE STORM), and Katrina. Wilma hit us hard. No power for about 2 weeks. My suggestions from my experience. I would prepare as if any other weather related problem that may have the power go out. Here are my suggestions.

1.Get a battery operated television/radio (very inexpensive at Walmart or Target). You can follow the track of the storm when the power goes out. Get many batteries. Please check to make sure you have the right size for your flashlights etc. (No candles!) If your house is on fire during a hurricane, police and fire do not respond until its over.

2.Buy food and water for at least 1-2 weeks.(Personally, I would purchase for two weeks. You do not want to be stuck in long lines waiting for water and ice.

You can find a list at the Palm Beach Post or Publix websites.
Dry milk or milk that does not have to be refrigerated.
Baby wipes to wash your face etc.

3. Fill your tank with gas. I would assume most gas stations in NC do not have generators. You may need gas for a generator also.

4. Fill all of your tubs with water. This you will use to flush the toilets. The toilets and sewer systems back up if power is off for a few days.

5. Pets make sure you have food, water etc. If you have to evacuate take them with you. My dog sat in the corner hours before the storm and was scared until a day after it was gone. The pets will no the storm is near before you do. It's truly silent and beautiful before and after the storm.

6. Get one of thouse old phones that you plug up directly to the wall not a cordless. Those were the only phones that worked until the generators in the phone system went down. Our cell phones did not work but you could text message for some reason. Contact one person to let them you know you are okay after the storm. Everyone else should be directed to contact that person because you will probably not get through again.

7. Get to know your neighbors. We all put all of our food in the freezer and turned the refrigerator to its highest number. After the power went out, we all shared food as it thawed out. Not to waist anything. Someone would bring meat, another veggies, etc.

8. Check on your older neighbors and relatives if you can. That was the hardest thing to see. Remember they may need help to get to the hospital or dialysis etc.

9. Hopefully you will not have to evacutate but be prepared with your documents SS card, passport, important papers etc. enclosed in a plastic sealed bag.

I could right a book but this is all just from experience. You can also check the Palm Beach Post-Storm 2006 website for information. They will have good information but they probably won't tell you that the sewer will back up and that your cell phones etc. may not work. If you specific questions, let me know.

If all fails, come stop by place afterall, I'll be in Charlotte after July!!!

Spoken by a true survivor of the worse of the worse. Heed this advice, type it out and put in on your refrigerator. And I don't guess the gas pumps have generators because you sure don't get gas without the electricity. Same is true of the ATM's. The documents are necessary so you can get back in to your place of residence to access damages if any. Only residents are allowed back in and if it is a danger, you might still not get back in for a while. We got a generator after the last round of storms. Prior to that, we were sharing with a neighbor. We would run tank of the gas out and look at television, wash or whatever and then the neighbor would take it back. I cooked for all of us when I had the generator going. Enjoy North Carolina. After what you have been through, we will probably be a great place to be. Florida has really gotten slammed over the past few years.

I don't want to go through any of that!! I'm getting a plane out of town. Me and momof 2boys and her 2 boys and Ncbound and the person from Seattle. We are getting out of Dodge. Glad we will live by the airport.

I don't want to go through any of that!! I'm getting a plane out of town. Me and momof 2boys and her 2 boys and Ncbound and the person from Seattle. We are getting out of Dodge. Glad we will live by the airport.

Yep, me and my 2 boys are right there on that plane with you!! Now, as for my husband, he is rolling his eyes every time I turn on Weather Channel, so we'll have to see about him! Of course, the only place my kids really want to go is Disney World- Wrong direction!!

Yep, me and my 2 boys are right there on that plane with you!! Now, as for my husband, he is rolling his eyes every time I turn on Weather Channel, so we'll have to see about him! Of course, the only place my kids really want to go is Disney World- Wrong direction!!

Trust me my husband thinks I'm the nuttiest person ever. He gets mad when I put the weather channel on. Everytime we have a severe weather alert on the TV he hurries and lowers the sound so I don't hear it.

Trust me my husband thinks I'm the nuttiest person ever. He gets mad when I put the weather channel on. Everytime we have a severe weather alert on the TV he hurries and lowers the sound so I don't hear it.

Yeah wrong direction.

Boy is your husband up for a treat this year. Just to give you the heads up so he doesn't pull anything over on you, they are having a hurricane awareness week starting Sunday and the tropical update comes on at 50 minutes after every hour like 11:50, 12:50, etc. Just keep that in mind. But if you are heading in the direction of Charlotte, I don't think you are going to see much but some rain off of one. But you can still watch and see if you see me floating by on the roof of my house. LOL

Hey you are going to be fine. You'll certainly be in a better place than I will be in this season. I was reading the site about Hugo and I saw where they were expecting it to hit Savannah, GA first. I was in the hospital and didn't monitor that one like I do the rest but I know my BIL lives near Wilmington, in fact, I believe he was living in Wilmington at that time. And I was under the impression that they had said it was suppose to hit Wilmington head on. No matter it went to Charleston, SC and caught a lot of people off guard. But had it hit Savannah, it would have been the first one to hit Savannah since 1899 I believe the article read. Hey if you get antsy, all you have to do is PM me. I can talk you down and tell you what to get and all. And remember, you aren't going to get all the mess the ones that closer to that coast get. As for the basement, get a case of diet pepsi and save me a spot. I'll bring the stew beef that I usually make so we can eat of that for few days and some pig picking cake or something. We'll have a hurricane party. Don't fret. I have a feeling that you are going to be just fine. And believe it or not, the experts prefer people like you that are not "use to" hurricanes because they are far more likely to get the heck out of Dodge than someone with "I survived Fran and Floyd" attitude like a lot of people have around here. I wouldn't leave normally for a Cat. 3 but with my respiratory problems are going to make it necessary this year. Last year we got Cat. 1 Ophelia. And as the barometric pressure dropped, my breathing was worse and worse. I ended up in the doctor's office and he sedated me so I could "sleep" through the storm. But it is really scary when you get where you can't breath.

I understand about breathing problems. I have chronic asthma. Would you explain what the barometric pressure dropping has to do with your ability to breathe? How does that affect persons ability to breath?

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